subject: Hypnosis: An Everyday Experience! [print this page] Hypnosis: An Everyday Experience! Hypnosis: An Everyday Experience!
When you hear about hypnosis do you have a mental picture of a strange man swinging a watch back and forth to try to control a subject's mind to make him do things he is reluctant to do? Regrettably a lot of people have this misconception by what they have seen on television. But hypnosis is not only for entertainment purposes, in fact it is a powerful clinical tool both used in medicine and psychotherapy. It is the treatment method used for people seeking to make changes in their personal lives.
What is hypnosis? It is a state of heightened awareness where a person is totally relaxed and the ability to instill suggestions to that person is maximized. What is hypnotherapy? It is the therapeutic form of hypnosis. The goal is to get a person into a hypnotic state and impart positive suggestions to the subconscious mind to achieve the desired result.
You then ask, "Can I be hypnotized?" The answer is a resounding "Yes!" In fact you have experienced hypnosis several times because it is a natural occurrence. Have you found yourself daydreaming in your room? Have you tried zoning out in class? Have you loved a book so much you have gotten lost in the words of the writer? Have you enjoyed a movie so much you feel as though you are a part of it? If you had answered yes to any one of these, then you have been to the hypnotic state of mind. Therefore, you need not worry about reaching that level of hypnosis because you had been into it already. Actually, you can learn to purposely enter into a hypnotic state because this is a natural ability that can be realized with practice.
Have you wondered about what happens in a hypnotherapy session? There would be a private hypnotherapist that will serve as your guide. The session starts with relaxation exercises to get you ready for hypnosis. Next, the hypnotized person will be led into a deeper hypnotic state. When you have reached this level, the hypnotherapist will initiate therapeutic hypnotic suggestions. The session then ends when you are awakened from the hypnotic state.
On the other hand, self-hypnosis is quite similar except that as a replacement for a hypnotherapist leading you the way, you will do everything by yourself. This means that it is hypnosis done by you and you are your own therapist. In fact, all forms of hypnosis is in one way or another a self-hypnosis since you are part of the process in entering the hypnotic state. While a hypnotherapist can direct the path to you, ultimately you make the process happen.
For your own purpose, learning to hypnotize yourself with self-hypnosis would be an added advantage for several reasons. It is definitely a precious and helpful skill worth acquiring.
